gundersen



G. S. GUNDERSEN.

DIFFERENTIAL GEARIAND LOCK FOR MQT OR VEHICLE IRANSMISSION SYSTEMS. 7

APPLICATION FILED 001'. I9. ms.

1 ,3 7,286 7 Patented Sept. 30, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- G. s. GUNQERSEN. DIFFERENTIAL G EAR AND LOCK FOR MOTDILVEHICLE TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. I9. 1918.

Patentedsept 30, 1919.

2 SHEETS-MET 2- i a: Q E Q I Q 5% Q Q. w & a q \m a. H & Q l QQ Tm Quota,

GILBERT s. otmnnnsrm, or rear wanna, nmrnu.

DIFFERENTIAL GEAR AN D LOOK FOR MO'I'OB-VEHICLE-TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 30, 1919.

Application filed October 19, 1918. Serial No; 258,8.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that-I, GILBERT S. GUNDER- arm, a citizen of the United States, resiclin at Fort \Vayne, in the county of Allen an State 01 Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Differential Gears and Looks for Motor-Vchicle-Transmission Systems, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accom mnying drawings.

This invention relates to an improved differential gear and means for a lock for motor driven vehicle drive wheel transmission.

systems, and has for its primary object t9 provide locking means controllable by the driver of the car whereb r the frictional road contact of the drivin w ieels' under varying road conditions may e balanced to eilect an unequal distribution of the driving power and obviate skidding or slipping of the wheels on the road surface.

It is another important object of the invention to provide a locking .device for the above purpose which is applicable to the standard type of differential gearing to lock the diifercntiating pinions and place the driving strain for which the gears are designed properly, and without increasing the braking strain upon'the gears above that of which they were designed for when the lock is in use.

It is also another object of my invention to rovide adjusting means for the differentia pinion locking devices having positive engagement therewith, whereby the pinions when locked are caused to rotate as a unit with the drive gears, said adjustable friction means operating to automatically shift the driving power from the drive wheel having little frictional traetivo contact with the road surface, in the wheel having the greatest friction contact.

And it is also an additional object of the invention to rovide a simple and durably constructed differential gear lock which may be quickly and completely released to permit of independent rotation of the drive wheels and thereby obviate the possibility of stripping the gears or breakage of the other parts and excessive wear on tires when touring a car.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the improved con traction, combination and relative arrangement of the several arts as will be hereinafter more particu arl described, subsequently claimed and il ustiated in the ac companying drawin s in which similar reerence characters esignate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the differential gear casing illustrating one practical embodiment of the invention;

Fi 2 is a section taken on the line z2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 IS a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fi 1, the locking arms being shown in dotte lines in their released positions;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4.--i of Fig.1; and

Fig. 5 1s a detail elevation of the adjustable pinion sleeve.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 5 designates the differential gear case, and G the drive wheel axles which are mounted in a housing or boxing 7 arranged within the case 5, said boxing inclosing the differential gearing and being supported u on suitable bearings, shown at 8, for bodily rotation. Upon the opposed ends of the drive axles G, the beveled gears 9.are keyed or otherwise suitably fixed. These gears have meshing engagement with the diametrically opposed ditferontial pinions 10. In the illustrated embodiment of my invention, I have indiouted two of these differential pinions, but

it is to be understood that, if desired, in

practice a greater number of the pinions mav be employed.

Each of the pinions 10 has frictional en.- gagement upon. the lar or end of a tapered sleeve 11, said sleeves eing engaged upon the relatively opposite ends of aguide pin or red 12 which extends at right angles to t 1e axle sections 6 and between the opposed ends thereof. A collar 13 is keyed upon the outer or smaller end of each of the sleeves 11, as shown at 14-, the collar having a hub 15 extending through an opening in the wall of the I ar housing or boxing 7 and in contact with one of the pinions 10. Each of the collars 13 is formed with a plurality of spaced, radially projecting teeth or lugs 16 and is engaged in a seat or recess 17 formed in theouter face of the boxin 7. The outer end of each of the ta er sleeves 11 is threaded to receive an a jnsting nut 18,.the

said nut bearing against the face of the collar 13. By adjusting the nuts 18. upon the sleeves 11, it will be readily understood that said sleeves may be moved through the pinions 10 and collars 13 and the frlctional binding engagement of the larger end of said sleeves in the bores of the pinions regulated as desired.

enter between the teeth or lugs 16 on the collars 13. i

The arms 22 of an operating yoke are fixed upon a transverscl disposed rock shaft 23 mounted in. the we 1 of the casin 5. The yoke arms are provided with shi ter segments, shown at 24, which are loosely mounted on the arms and engaged in the annular groove or channel 25 of the collar 19. An arm 26 is fixed upon one end of the shaft 23, and may be connected by means of a rod or other suitable means (not shown) to an operating lever conveniently mounted and arranged adjacent to the operators seat.

Upon the other longitudinal hub extension of the boxing 7, a beveled ear 27 is fixed with which the gear 27 on t e end of the power transmission shaft .38 has meshing engagement.

My improved differential and look as above described'is'prirnarily designed for use in connection with commercial motor cars or trucks, it is designed also to be employed u on pleasure vehicles of the three or four differential pinion type. It is the purpose of the present invent on to reduce the construction cost of commercial service cars providing for an all your service car with positive driven multiple drive wheels, motor cars, trucks and tractors of the in ternal driving gear type which provides a relatively high speed in the differential gearing by a or seven to one reduction ratio at the wheels. This in connection with the safety friction pinion hub lock, positively Jroteots the parts against liability to brea age when lock is used and also relieves the wheel tires of road wear caused by sli )ping; and saves time lost b being stalled by the sli ping of drive w "eels in sand and mud anc snow and ice encountered by them.

Under ordinary operating or road conditions, it will be understood that the lock collar carrying the arms 20 is in its eleased position the differential operates freel and the friction between thev adjustable s eeves 11 and the pinions 10 is not-used; the pinions revolve freely on their hubs in the differential case so that the differential gear-' ing and the drive axle 6 will apply the power to the drive wheels roperly in tuming corners with a car, wii power to be applied at different drive wheel speeds. \Vhen road conditions are perfect and the wheels driven at different speeds upon the road surface, and when the operator actuates the rock shaft 23 to shift the. collar 19 to engage the arms thereof be tween the lugs or teeth of the res ective collars 13, thus locking the collar which are keyed to the sleeves against rotation independent of the gear 10, the retarding influence of the frictional contact between the pinions 10 and sleeves 11 to the rotation of said pinions relative to the ears 9, serves to counterbalance the varia le frictional contact of the drive wheels u on the road surface. At the same time, t is frictional mounting and adjustment for the pinions 10 is an insurance against the ossible breakage of the differential gears w ile the locking device is in use. When the drive wheels have different degrees of frictional surface contact on the road all parts will rotate as a unit, one wheel cannot slip. independent of the other and the car. cannot skid as the driving power is automatically shifted to the wheel having the greater frictional road contact, as the pi ions 10 in such case will be rotated upon the respective sleeves 11 against the retarding influence of the frictional contact between the same and the sleeves 11; thus, the skidding of' the vehicle with the possibility of serious injury thereto will be avoided. In'case one of the drive wheels should become deadlocked, the frictional mounting of the pin:

ions 10 will ermit of the rotation of the other drive w l ieel in the use of this locking ich requires the device. These pinions equally divide the driving strain for which the differential gearing isdesigned and by the proper adjustment of the friction sleeves 11', the lock.- ing strain may be adjusted to the weight and gear reduction of a car and by thus providing a device which will automatically balance the driving power transmitted to the wheels in "accordance with the tractive road contact grip required by the respective wheels on the road surface excessive wear upon the wheel tires is avoided and greater mileage service obtained from the tircs with this differential and this differential lock which is a free differential and a positive multiple wheel drive, with a safety breakage protection.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with tlie accompanying draws ings, it is believed that the construction manner of operation-and the advanta o my improved differential gear lock willbe clearly and .fully understood. The several parts of the device are very simple and compact in their arrangement not""liablepto get out of order, and adaptable to the standard type of motor vehicle differential gearing. In practice the device is effective andreliable for the urpose in view. By tapering the ends of t e locking arms as above de scribed, the release of the differential gears.

\ I reserve the privilege of adopting all such legitimate changes in these respects, as may be embodied within the'spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I elaimz- 1. In a differential gear and look, a housing, differential gear and pinion elements pivotally mounte in the housing, a friction mounting for each of the pinion elements including means rotatable therewith for locking the differential pinions, and means on the housing wall for controlling said lock, the action of the lock to cause a positive multiple wheel drive 'or an independent wheel drive as the tractive contact of the drive wheels may require to propel a vohicle.

2. In a differential and a lock for motor vehicles, a gear housing, differential gear elements, a. safety friction means coacting with the gear elements and rotatably support-ing the same upon the \\-'all of the housing, and means to lock said friction means against rotation to direct the driving power to the driving wheels under different road 'conditions. said differential gear elements being rotated by safety friction means upon a variation in the tru'etive contact of the drive wheels with the ground.

In a differential and a lock for motor vehicles, a gear housing, differential gcur elements, axially adjustable members rofutnbly mountrd in the wall of the housing and frictionally enacting with the respective ear elements to protect the latter from bros-tags. and manually operable locking means mounted upon the housim to hold said members against rotation and lock the gear elements within the housing and thereby' distribute the driving power to the drive wheels of the vehicle regardless of wheel road contact, said gear elements rotating ing, differential relative to said members u on a variation in the tractive contact of t e drive wheels with the ground when it is required.

. 4". In a differential and a lock for motor vehicles, a gear housing, sleeve gear hubs rotatably mounted in the wall of said housing, differential gearelements frietionally engaged upon said sleeves, niearisfor axially ad usting the sleeves to vary'the frictional contact of the pinions with the gear elements to a point within the breaking strain limit of the teeth of gear, lockin means for said sleeves including a part 'uxed tothe outer end of each sleeve, and manually operable means mounted upon the housing to engage said parts whereby the gear elements are locked against rotation under'diffic'ult road conditions but are rotated upon the respcctive sleeves against the frictional rctarding influence upon an excessive variation in the tractive contact ofthe drive wheels with the ground.

5. In a differential and a lock for motor vehicles, a gear housing, sleeve gear hubs rotatablv mounted in the wall of said hous- 'r elements frictionally engaged upon said sleeves, means for axially adjusting the sleeves to vary the frictional contact of the pinions with the gear elements, locking means for said sleeves, a collar fixed on the outer end of each sleeve and having spaced lugs, and manually operable locking arms shlftably mounted on the housing for engagement between said lugs whereby the gear elements are locked against rotation under difficult road conditions, said elements being rotated on the respective sleeves against the excessive retarding frictional influence upon a variation in the tractivc contact of the drive wheels with the ground.

6. In a differential and a lock for motor vehicles, a. gear housing, collars rotatably mounted in the wall of the gear housing, taper sleeves keyed in said collars, differential gear elements frictionally engaged on each sleeve, means for adjustinthe sleeves through said collars to vary t io frictional locking engagement of the sleeves with the gear elements, and locking means shiftnble upon the housing to coact with-said collars and hold the sleeves against rotation whereby the gear elements are locked under difficult road conditions, said elements rotatmg on the respective variation in the tractivc contact of the drive WllCClis with the ground.

7. In a differential lock for motor vehicles, a gear housing, collars rotatably mounted in the wall of the gear housing and each having spacodlugs, sleeves keyed in said cellags for rotation therein, differential gear elements frictionally engaged on the sleeves, means for adjusting the sleeves through the collars for veryinw the frictional locking engagement of the sleeves with said gear elements, and manually operable means s iiftable upon the housing and having locking arms for en agement between the spaced lugs on said co lars whereby the gear elements are locked against rotation under difficult road conditions, suid elements rotating upon the respective sleeves against the excessive retardin frictional influence in the 10 variation of t 1e tractive contact of the drive wheels with the round.

In testimony 518113016 I hereunto allix my signature in the )resence of two witnesses.

GIL ERT S. GUNDERSEN. WVitnesses:

L. A. Tom), CHARLES E. COLBINK. 

